Coming Soon: Just Cats Clinic at Lake Anne

After many years of sitting empty, the former Millennium Bank building at 1601 Washington Plaza will soon have a major new tenant — and many kitty visitors.

Remodeling crews are busy renovating the Lake Anne space for Just Cats, a veterinarian clinic for felines that is slated to open in March. It will be Reston’s first dedicated cat clinic.

The 6,600-square-foot building has been mostly empty since Millennium Bank moved out in 2009. Last year, Reston Tailoring leased part of the ground floor after leaving its space at Hunters Woods Village Center after 30 years.

Hampering the leasing process for the main part of the building was a large metal vault in the middle of the space, real estate agents say. Just Cats is working to get it removed.

The clinic’s founder is Dr. Elizabeth Arguelles, a Herndon resident who formerly worked at NOVA Cat Clinic (formerly known as Capital Cat Clinic) in Arlington. She says the area needs a dedicated cat clinic.

“At my former clinic, I would see clients coming from Reston and Leesburg,” she said. “There is a market and a need here. A cat-only clinic is a much better environment than a dog and cat clinic. Getting a cat to the vet is so hard. We try to make it as easy as possible.”

Arguelles — “Dr. Elizabeth” to her patients — said she is excited about opening at Lake Anne. She did not want to be located in a strip mall, and the the floor-to-ceiling windows of the bank building also appealed to her.

“Lake Anne has unique shops, and a cat-only vet is a unique venture,” she said. “Cats feel much more at home if they have light and can see out of windows.”

In addition to vet services, Just Cats intends to offer luxury cat boarding. Arguelles says boarders will not be in cages, but will be in cat condos with a view to the outside.